In the stillness of the night or the glory of the morning that is Christmas, my prayer for you is that beyond the traditions and trappings, through the gifts and the connections, you approach it all with a heart that is fully awake and aware of the Larger Story and the part you still must play.
I pray that you would fall in love again this Christmas with a first-love kind of desire for Jesus, whose birth we celebrate. I pray that your soul would find in Him and in those whose lives you touch the sweetest of love that gives graciously, forgives completely, and waits patiently when you or I fail miserably.
I pray that you have those God-breathed encounters in which your heart is so full you are lost in the moment. I pray that your heart is so captured with the wonder and joy of the presence of God, even in the simplest of experiences, you could stay in that moment and hold Him tightly.
I pray that you are confronted with opportunities and situations that, despite your love for God and His world, remind you that you are gloriously never enough – not strong enough, smart enough, fast enough, wealthy enough. I pray that even those moments where it feels as though your next step is on air, faith will rise to remind you that He won’t let you fall, ever.
I pray that when you’re so pushed to get it all done that, left to your own devices, you’d forget to breathe, you would experience His faithfulness in sustaining you. I pray that when you lack the strength to carry on, you would find your rest in His care.
I pray that when adversity comes (and it will), that your affliction would be strangely interrupted by the joy of the Lord which is your strength. I pray that He would teach you again to dance in the rain, to laugh at the future, and to know, as Job declared, that “my Redeemer lives.”
When the storms are raging (and they will) and your strength is failing, I pray that you would grip the truth of who you are in Him. I pray that above the howls of your own desperation His song of peace would anchor your heart to His.
When others around you are lost in darkness and searching for the brightest star, I pray that they would see in you a light that reflects the greatness of your God, and that your life would lead them home. I pray that in a way that literally lasts forever you would touch lives and impact hearts.
I pray that you show the world what it looks like to be crowned with love – radiant in worship, regal in the ways you are graced with His authority. But I also pray that you would reach beyond the predictable and safe, and know that ridiculous love that occasionally gets just a little bit crazy toward those you cherish and adore.
I pray that your life is blessed with the choicest of friends, but that you would always remember who your Dearest Friend is. I pray that He finds in you a heart that always saved your best for Him in all you do.
During that dark night of the soul, when you feel so far away from the Lord for whatever reason, I pray that you find a faithful heart to attend to Him regardless. I pray that you would remember His faithfulness and believe His promises – even when they seem distant and you don’t understand.
I pray that as you navigate the distance and the spaces between your dreams and their fulfillment you would experience the faithful presence of God in the waiting. I pray that regardless of your goals or visions in this life, you never forget in the long run Who’s taking you home and where you are most alive.
I pray that when you’re under the microscope and lost for words (I know, a rarity in some cases), your actions would speak louder and longer about who and what matters most. I pray that when you’re under attack and lost for courage, you would manifest the power to overcome in His name.
Finally, I pray that when you would otherwise be crushed by life or sin or desperation, you would find hope born again and Eden reimagined under His mercy. And in all the complexities and mysteries that are this life, I pray your life could point the world to the simplest, most priceless of truths – that in Jesus you were loved first… and you loved in return.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas and thank you so much for your prayer, I need it!
May HIS grace be with you & your, have a blessed Christmas and a happy all through the year.
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